Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Bottle. Among the strongest beers I’ve had, it is also quite tasty. Pours a deep orange that leaves lacing on the glass. Very floral and smooth. Also sweet. It’ll leave your throat warm from the 21%. Only Dogfish Head is crazy enough to brew something like this.

2006 Bottle. Pours an orangish-brown color with lots of particulate and with a thin creamy off-white head that fades quickly leaving a few watery streaks of lacing. Aroma is very floral, alcohol notes - almost medicinal, earthiness, and caramel malts. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. It is syrupy and very sweet - almost has a medicinal quality to it. Not very hoppy or bitter at all but leaves alcohol warmth. Not as bad as I thought it would be.

From a bottle purchased and consumed 11-09-08. Had to take it back to the LQ and get a refund. Most sour nasty beer I have ever tried. The Store I purchased from has good knowledge on celleraring. Quite sure from reading the reviews that this beer is not intended to taste that way.

Though I’ve had this on tap, rating on this is from a bottle since I didn’t take notes on it from the tap. Also saved rating it for rating 120. Pours a deep gently hazed amber, akin to a thick dark honey. Medium thin white head which fades quickly. Slight lacing on the glass. Aroma is redolent with hops and sweet malt with a slight caramel note. Mouthfeel is thick and smooth with very gentle carbonation. Finish is gentle without the huge amount of bitterness one associates generally with IPAs. There is a big hoppy note to any belches that invariably occur later though, so the hops certainly are in there. Though there is a huge warming alcohol rush, it’s much less kick filled than the 20%+ ABV would suggest.

12oz. Bottled on 10/10/07. Slightly hazy dark orange in color with a thin short lived head. Nose is powerful, but not typical for a beer that is this heavily hopped. Aromas of burnt caramel and floral citrus. Flavor is surprisingly sweet and slightly tangy, with notes of caramel malt, oranges and grapefruit. Hop flavors are noticeable throughout even though the beer is not harsh or bitter. Body is somewhat oily from all the hops, but not as syrupy as you would imagine from a beer that is around 20%. Finish is lingering with hints of the alcohol noticeable on the roof of your mouth. I’ve had this fresh in the bottle and on draft, both of which had a hoppier nose than this year and half old batch. The bite has mellowed somewhat and the malt flavors have started to catch up with the hops. A truly unique beer that is unlike anything you have probably tried before. Definitely a sipper.

Bottle I am rerating this one. It is one of my favorite beers. Pours a hazy copper orange with a deminishing light tan head. The lacing is great. The aroma is great pine, alcohol, caramel, and earthy. Has a great carbonation. Mouthfeel is excellent. The alcohol burn is very mild considering the %. Has good flavor. Not too bitter but well hopped. The balance is great. Has a resinlike texture. The finish is awesome with a perfect aftertaste. This beer is still the mecca.

Cloudy amber body with a small, persistent head. Slightly weak aroma, but it is very appetizing. Very fruity and floral. Slight hint of the 21% ABV and no hint of sugar. Nose is of a strong, young wine. The alcohol gives off an astringent finish. This tastes like a citrus wine that has not been aged enough. I’m betting that they aged this in some casks for 2-3 years, then released it, that this would really kick some ass. This is on the extreme fringe of beer. I think I will buy another and cellar it for a long time and see what comes up in say 2012.

I recently had my second 120 Minute. My first may have been consumed before my taste buds were ready for such a monster. This time around, I was ready to kick some ass. The wonderfully refreshing aroma is worthy of being an air freshener. The taste is a delicious infusion of sweet grapefruits, apricots, honey, melon, Gran Marnier, caramel, St. Germain, robust port, and I swear there’s just a hint of fresh, young pussy. It’s amazing how well the hops counteract the aggressive malt. Leave the beer bong alone for this badboy. Take your time and enjoy. My most recent 120 was consumed while watching Neil Young bust out an epic Cortez the Killer. Well worth the pain in the ass of sneaking it in. In the end, my 120 Minute only lasted about 20 minutes. Slightly disappointing. This is without question the best beer to sneak into a concert/sporting event/any venue that charges $7 for a Bud Light. This also means it is in the running for ’best beer ever.’ Thank you Dogfish Head for being crazy enough to concoct this little slice of heaven.